The School of Architecture welcomes applications from transfer students who have already completed university-level architecture courses at another architecture school in Canada or abroad. Admission and level of entry in the BEDS/MArch program are based on:

academic standing (3.30 GPA is expected for admission at an advanced level)

courses completed elsewhere that are equivalent to architecture courses at Dalhousie

level of achievement in your architectural design portfolio

total years of university completed

English language proficiency for students whose first language is not English (IELTS 7.0, TOEFL 92 iBT, etc.)

To maintain professional accreditation standards, the School cannot offer a level of entry that would permit a student to obtain the MArch degree with less than six full years of university. Please note that admission is competitive and places in the program are limited.

Application Deadlines

Transfer applications from students who have already completed university-level architecture courses are reviewed three times each year. For an application to be considered, all items must be received by February 1, June 1, or October 1.

Applications from Undergraduate Architecture Students

Transfer students who have completed some university-level architecture courses but have not completed a university pre-professional architecture degree (BAS, BED, BEnvD, BES, BSc[Arch], BArchSci, etc.) may submit an application by any of the three annual deadlines. To avoid delay, February 1 is the recommended deadline. Please follow the steps on the Undergraduate Application page. To enable the admissions committee to assess your previous architecture courses, please submit course outlines or calendar descriptions. In your portfolio include both architectural design work and other design work.

Applications from Pre-professional Architecture Graduates

Most transfer students who have completed a university pre-professional architecture degree (BAS, BED, BEnvD, BES, BSc[Arch], BArchSci, etc.) will need to complete one or more senior undergraduate courses at Dalhousie during the winter term to be eligible for graduate admission to the Master of Architecture program in the summer term. For pre-professional graduates, the normal entry date is in early January, preceded by an October 1 application deadline. To avoid delay, download and submit an undergraduate application form, rather than applying online or submitting a graduate application. On page 1 of the application form, indicate "winter" as the start date. For student status, indicate "Special Student." On page 3, for Program selection - Special students, indicate "ARCH" as the field of study. For full submission requirements, see the Undergraduate Admission Requirements page. To enable the admissions committee to assess your previous architecture courses, please submit course outlines or calendar descriptions, together with a comprehensive portfolio of your architectural design work and any other complementary design work. For each architectural design project, please indicate the year, the course title, the project title, the instructor, and (for group work) the names of the other group members. For any professional work, indicate the year, the company name, the project name, and your contribution to the project.

Applications from Non-architecture Students

If you have not studied architecture before, please disregard this Transfer Students page and refer instead to the Undergraduate Admission page for BEDS applicants.

Applications from Non-professional Students

If you have completed a non-professional architectural or environmental studies program (e.g., BA in Architectural Studies at University of Toronto, Bachelor of Environmental Design [ENDS] at University of British Columbia, or BDes in Environmental Design at OCAD University) and wish to proceed into a professional architecture program, you would be considered for admission to the B1 or B2 term of Dalhousie's BEDS program. Please disregard this Transfer Students page and refer instead to the Undergraduate Application page for BEDS applicants.

Applications from International Architecture Graduates

If you have already completed a professional architecture degree (a degree that requires no additional university education to practice architecture in your home country), you are not eligible for admission to the professional architecture program (BEDS/MArch) at Dalhousie to complete another professional architecture degree. Please do not apply, as all such applications will be declined. For other options, please see the FAQ page.